02 June 2011

WA Jockey pleads guilty to fraud over tote scam

B&R reports: WA jockey Clint Harvey “has been fined $3,000 for his role in a racing scam in which he let money be directed into his own personal bank account,” reported The West Australian. Harvey, 28, was sentenced in Perth Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to 21 fraud charges relating to a total of $11,358. The court was told Harvey had allowed his best friend Bernard James Ryan, who had access to Racing And Wagering WA computers “to fraudulently shift late scratching fees into his own bank account”; Harvey had not received any of the funds, but Ryan (who is due to be sentenced in June) “had benefited from the payments”. Harvey’s lawyer Michael Tudori told the court his client had “withdrawn from the scam because he no longer wanted to be part of an illegal venture & had made full admission to the turf club stewards & the police fraud squad”. Magistrate Richard Bayly agreed Harvey “had been the lesser participant in the scam, had given significant assistance to authorities & was remorseful”.